Smart sensors and artificial intelligence for monitoring nutrient solutions in soilless cultivation: advances, applications, and perspectives
Keywords:
smart sensors, artificial intelligence, hydroponics, soilless crops, nutrient solutions, precision agriculture.Abstract
The monitoring of nutrient solutions in soilless crops is an essential component for ensuring productive efficiency, water sustainability, and plant physiological quality in hydroponic, aeroponic, and controlled-environment agriculture systems. In recent years, the incorporation of smart sensors, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence has transformed the management of these systems by enabling real-time measurement of critical variables such as pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrient concentration, and water quality. This scoping review aims to analyze the advances, applications, and future perspectives of smart sensors and artificial intelligence in the monitoring of nutrient solutions in soilless crops. The review was based on scientific literature, technical documents, academic repositories, and specialized publications mainly published between 2015 and 2024. The findings reveal sustained growth in automated systems based on sensors, IoT platforms, fuzzy logic, machine learning, data analytics, and remote monitoring to optimize crop nutritional management. Relevant applications were identified in automated hydroponics, precision agriculture, environmental control, prediction of nutritional deficiencies, and data-assisted decision-making. However, challenges remain regarding sensor calibration, implementation costs, technological interoperability, data availability, equipment maintenance, and technical training for producers. It is concluded that the integration of smart sensors and artificial intelligence represents a strategic pathway for developing more efficient, sustainable, and resilient soilless crop systems, although its adoption requires strengthening applied research, experimental validation, and technology transfer to real production systems.
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